Socket retainer



' May 24, 1932. c, A MICHEL 1,859,674

SOCKET RETAINER Filed Dec. 21, v1929 attomqb Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLARENCE A. MICHEL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO GUIDE LAMP CORPORATION,

OF ANDERSON INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE SOCKET RETAINER Application filed December 21, 1929. Serial No. 415,728;

My invention relates to a socket retainer, and is particularly designed for use in connecting the lamp socket and reflector in what is known as a fixed focus lamp, although its use is not intended to be so limited as it is i obvious that the retaining means forming my invention might be applied generally as a detachable connection between a pair of telescoping cylindrical elements.

The object of my invention is to form such a connection by a readily detachable means which is so formed of spring wire that it may be merely sprung into locking position and in such position serves to firmly connect 1; the adjacent elements against any possible displacement without the use of additional securing means such as screws or the like.

As one application of my invention, I have illustrated the retaining device, which comprises generally a spring wire clip, as inter-engaging and connecting a lamp socket and a sleeve which is rigidly secured to a reflector.

Only those parts essential to a full disclosure of my invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation and part sectional view of the parts in assembled position;

Figure 2 is an end elevation with parts in section viewed from the right side of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective of the spring wire cli 3.

in the form of my invention illustrated in the drawings, the cylindrical sleeve 2 is shown as clinched at its front end 3 to the reflector 1, it being understood that any suitable method of securing this sleeve rigidly in place therein may be employed. The rear end of said sleeve is provided with an outwardly bent tongue 4 and a notch 7, and the intermediate portion thereof is provided with a transverse slot 11, the function of.

45 which will the proceeds.

Slidably received within this sleeve 2 is the cylindrical lamp socket 5 of such length as to extend within the reflector at its front appear as description .50 end and provided, respectively, at its front tongue 4 on said sleeve.

'a part of my invention and may be of any known form adapted for that purpose.

The rear end of the socket 5 is provided with an outwardly bent lug 6 adapted to enter the notch 7 in the sleeve 2. In addition to serving as a means for preventing rotation of the socket in the sleeve, this lug engagement is further employed to aline a transverse slot 10 in the intermediate portion of the socket 5 with the slot 11 in the sleeve 2. To securely, and yet detachably, connect the socket and sleeve against endwise displacement, use is made of the spring wire clip 8, of the form shown in Figure?) of the drawings. When in locking position the intermediate portion of this clip, in the form of an inturned bight 9, enters the alined transverse slots 10 and 11 of the socket and sleeve, respectively. From this intermediate portion, the ends of the wire extend rear- 5 tially enclrcle the rear end of the sleeve 2 7 with their free ends 12 adjacent and substantially in contact withthe outwardly bent In assembling the various parts, the socket 5 is first slid within the sleeve'2 until the lug 6 engages in the notch 7. The spring wire clip 8 is then placed with its ends 12 in contact with the tongue 4 and the intermediate portion is forcedover the end of the sleeve 2 and moved forwardly until the bight 9 snaps into place within the alined slots 10 and 11.

It will be apparent from the foregoin description thatthe inter-engagement of the bight of the wire clip and the slots in the socket and sleeve holds said socket against endwise displacement; that the lug 6 positions said slots in alinement, prevents relative rotation and serves as an additional means to prevent endwise displacement in one direction; and that the wire clip, by reason of its spring action, is maintained in position by contact with the sleeve and by the engagement of the bight within the alined 109 drical sleeve secured to a reflectorat its front construction here shown and -described,-and

various applications of my improved retaining device will suggest themselves within the scope of my invention, and I desiretherefore, to be limited only as set forth in the claims hereafter.

Iolaim,: 1

1. In a socket retaining device, a cylinend, said sleeve having a. transverse slot ineczo termediate its ends,iand a 'notchand outward 'ly bent tongue at its rear end; acylindrical socket/fitted therein and extending :at its front end within said reflector, said socket having a transverse slot intermediate its ends,

and a lug at its rear end, said lug being received within said notch and preventing rela- 1 tive rotationof said sleeve and socket and "positioning said transverse slots in alinement; and a spring wire clip detachably connecting-said sleeve and socket against endwise displacement, comprising an intermediate offset portion engaged in said slots, and end portions partially encirclingsaid sleeve and. held from displacement thereon by spring contact and engagement with said outwardly bent tongue.

2. In a socket retaining device, a sleeve, a

- socket longitudinally fitted therein, transverse slots insaid sleeve and socket adapted to be assembled in alinement, and a spring 'wire clipexternally'mounted on-said sleeve, said clip consisting of an intermediate bight engaging within said slots, longitudinal portions extending rearwardly from said bight, and end portions-extending transversely in "arcuate form and partially encircling said sleeve.

3. In a socket retaining device,'a sleeve, a

socket longitudinally fitted therein, and a *spring wire clip externally mounted on said .sleeve, said clip including an intermediate portion engaging between said sleeve and socket to prevent relative longitudinal moveiment therebetween, and means for preventing displacement of said clip including spaced longitudinal portions extending rearwardly from said intermediate portion to points of contact with said sleeve and end portions extending from said. points of contact in'op- ,posite directions to partially encircleand wfrictionally engage said sleeve.

4 The elements set forth in claim 3, in which said spaced longitudinal portions are lel to the transverse plane of said intermediate portion.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CLARENCE A. MICHEL.

-. substantially parallel, and said end portions Earein a transverse-plane substantially paral- 

